


Christmas Parties and Unwanted Attention

by Lilith888



Series: The Future is Ours to Write [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Auror Harry Potter, Christmas Party, Christmas present, Drarry, Fluff, M/M, Minister for Magic Hermione Granger, Ministry of Magic (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:36:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28261008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilith888/pseuds/Lilith888
Summary: "Harry hated Christmas parties. He hated Christmas parties at the Ministry in particular and that year it was no different from the others. Except for one thing. He was now separate from Ginny. It was the first Christmas he had ever celebrated being single since Hogwarts, and it was a nightmare."
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Series: The Future is Ours to Write [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2070270
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	Christmas Parties and Unwanted Attention

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Whatever_her_name_is](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whatever_her_name_is/gifts).



> It's Christmas Week and this is my first Christmas on AO3 as an author, so I decided to write little presents for people who have helped and inspired me with their comments and kudos.   
> In this case, the gift is for Whatever_her_name_is, always taking some time to comment “Differently Us”. Thank you for enjoying the story as much as I do!

Harry hated Christmas parties. He hated Christmas parties at the Ministry in particular and that year it was no different from the others. Except for one thing. He was now separated from Ginny. It was the first Christmas he had ever celebrated being single since Hogwarts, and it was a nightmare. Not because he felt his wife absence, all he cared was that the children chose to come back at  Grimmauld for the holidays, but because everyone was giving him extra unwanted attention. And he definitely didn’t need it. After all those years he was still the boy who lived twice, the Saviour, the youngest Auror to become team leader, everyone never stopped telling him how brave he had been, how forgiving with the one he had testified for at the trials, how generous for taking Teddy with him. Now, everyone was also sorry for him, because his beautiful, talented, famous wife had left him. And now she was dating Dean Thomas, and he was alone.

Ron and Hermione had tried to convince him to spend the holidays with them. When he had gently declined the offer, they had tried to move with the children at  Grimmauld Place. At that suggestion, he had panicked. The idea of having all of them, sleeping in the same house, having no moment of peace and privacy at the age of 40, was a total nightmare. So, Hermione was constantly checking on him, Ron, on the other hand was trying to convince him to go on a date with any woman they met. And at a party on your place of work it means co-workers or co-workers' wives. 

He had been able to avoid both his best friends for almost an hour, dealing with just a couple of embarrassing question near the buffet. He had to stay at the party for at least another hour to avert the threat of having to explain himself to Hermione. He wasn’t sure he was going to be able to do it.

“What are you doing here? Hiding from someone?”.

“Yes, Ron. I actually am”.

“Figured. I didn’t know he would have come”.

Harry turned to Ron confused “Who are you talking about?”.

“Malfoy, of course. Who were you talking about?”.

“Doesn’t matter” Harry  turned; they were now both looking at Malfoy. He had just come down the stairs with a witch.

“Who’s the witch?”.

“Bunce, from the legal office”.

“So, is he again in some kind of trouble?”.

“I don’t think so, she mostly does contracts and review of legal acts”.

“So, is he her date?” asked Ron.

“How the hell should I know?”.

“Hey, I’m just curious. Damn you are tense”.

“I’m going to say hi” answered Harry, because it was the first thing that came to his mind to get away from Ron.

“You are what? I thought you were avoiding him”.

“We are adults  Ronald; you should try sometimes to act like one” and left.

When he approached Malfoy and Bunce, he noticed that everyone was staring at them, keeping a safe distance. He entered a virtual circle where no one dared to go. 

“Bunce, working late?” Harry greeted his colleague, then he held out his hand “Malfoy, good to see you”.

Malfoy took it the moment the witch started talking “Potter, nice to see you here. I thought you wouldn’t have come since the circumstances. But you have always been so brave. Me and Draco were reviewing a contract, something absolutely exciting, then I invited him at the party. I didn’t accept a no for an answer”.

“I can see that” Harry somehow managed to hide his annoyance for the comment and also the hilarity the expression on Malfoy’s face was causing him. Clearly, he was annoyed as much as him.

“Bunce was so kind to invite me, but I am afraid I’ll be able to stay only a few minutes”.

“Oh please, call me Penelope”.

“I would never dare to do that” Malfoy almost sounded serious, like a knight being reverent with a lady, and not someone trying not to give confidence to an annoying person. The façade almost dropped when she laughed and throw herself at him, holding his arm and looking at him in adoration.

Harry needed to leave, or he would have laughed in face of the woman. But he couldn’t leave Malfoy in her evil, intrusive hands. “Sorry Malfoy, do you mind leaving your host for just a minute? I really need to ask you something”.

Malfoy looked suspicious, Bunce too “And what would you need him for, this is a party Potter”.

“Single fathers' stuff” he hated himself for playing that card, but knew it would open him any door, even more than the Saviour’s one.

“Oh, sure. I go get something to drink. When you are free find me Draco” and she left with a last glance.

Harry gestured for Malfoy to follow him. A lot of people were looking at them after eavesdropping the conversation, so Harry grabbed a plate full of appetizers, a couple of glasses of Prosecco and slowly reached for an empty open office. “Single fathers’ stuff?” asked Malfoy, after putting a silencing spell.

Harry drank from his glass “No one would ever ask anything about it. But if you want to go back to Penelope’s caring hands you are welcome”.

“For Merlin sake, no. She is an incredible lawyer, but a very horrible woman” Malfoy took his glass and drank too “Thanks for the saving Potter, you didn’t have to”.

“Are you kidding? She is awful. But if I have to be honest, I needed to get away from Ron”.

“Trouble in paradise?”.

“You have no idea” and he laughed “So, how is Scorpius?”.

“He is fine, not really excited to come home, but he told me something about a New Year’s party?”.

“Yeah, Ron and Hermione planned it at my place for the kids”.

“He has been asking the permission to come for over a month”.

“You should let him. We will be there all the time and he is a good  boy; I don’t think he wants to get drunk or something like that”.

“There is going to be alcohol?” Malfoy looked terrified.

“Of course, not! If you don’t count the  beer I’ll need to get over the night”.

“Are you serious?”.

“Hermione will be there, don’t worry. I’ll simply pick the kids and lend the house”.

“I’ll think about it”.

“If you won’t let Scorpius come, Albus will kill me”.

“And we cannot lose the Saviour of the magic world”.

“It would be a bad idea, unless you don’t want to be left alone with Penelope in the future”.

They both laughed, Malfoy even pretended to be horrified, well, he wasn’t really pretending, but his expression was hilarious “Then I’ll make him come, but I definitely owe you a drink”.

“For what?”.

“I should have offered you one a long time ago”.

“That’s the past, and I owe you and your mother my life”.

“And we owe you ours”

“So, let’s call it even”.

“I still owe you one for saving me from that horrible witch”.

“Ok, ok, you win”.

“I always do”.

“You git”.


End file.
